Gone are the days when the Muslims
of Kerala were thought to have believed Malayalam as the language
of Nairs. The Muslims of modern Kerala are greatly indebted to a
number of devoted reformers whose dedicated endeavours liberated
them from the yoke of illiteracy and cultural backwardness. Late
C.N Ahmad Moulavi, in his book on Muslim literary heritage in
Malayalam entitled Mahathya Mappila Sahithya Parambaryam,
describes the contribution of such reformers.

In fact, Malayalam has been the mother tongue of the Muslims of
this region but their dialect was considered relatively inferior.
This was because they had neglected learning and teaching the
Malayalam language and literature. They were more concerned with
Quranic education. Moreover, for the purpose of imparting Islamic
knowledge they used Arabic script when they wrote Malayalam. It
slowly developed as a literary branch of Malayalam known as the
Arabic Malayalam literature.

Arabic-Malayalam Literature
The Arabic-Malayalam literature is exclusively the literature of
the Kerala Muslims. It includes more than five hundred books in
prose and about the same number of books in verse, on various
subjects. Books in prose include translation and explanation of
the Holy Quran, Hadith, Jurisprudence, history, stories and
fables, narratives, criticism, lexicon, science and etiquette.
Many journals and magazines were also published in
Arabic-Malayalam.

Critics have wholeheartedly extolled the literary merit of the
poems in Arabic Malayalam. They are highly impressed by its
originality, rhythmic beauty, lucidity in imagination and
expression. The majority of these poems are on religious topics.
In fact, this stream of poems had been running parallel to
Malayalam poetry for centuries. The earliest work so far traced in
Arabic Malayalam poetry is Mohiyauddeen Mala, an ode in praise of
Sheikh Mohiyuddheen. Its author, late Khazi Mohammed of Calicut
was a contemporary of Ezuthcchan’s (16C) who is considered the
father of Malayalam language. A comparative study of Ezuthcchan’s
Adhyatma Romayana Khazi’s Mala reveals the latter’s simplicity in
expression.

Moin Kutty Vaidyar elevated the Arabic Malayalam poetry to the
pinnacle of its golry with his Badr pada pattu (war song on Badr)
and Badrul Muneer Husunul Jamal (a love song). War and love have
been celebrated topics for poetry of all ages. But what made
Vaidyar’s poems real masterpieces of literature is his skilful way
of blending form and content into an artistic unity. Through his
poems Vaidyar created a language within language, a rare
achievement in Malayalam poetry praised equally by famous critics
and linguists. Chains of tunes (called Ishals) innovated by
Vaidyar still remain to be emulated by latter poets. In fact he is
the most popular among Arabic Malayalam poets. His poems provided
the Muslims of Kerala with a unique culture identity, uniformity
and redouble their pride and prestige. P.K. Haleema, Naduthopil
Ayesha Kutty, Kundil Kunhamina are the poetesses whose poems left
indelible imprints on Arabic Malayalam poetry.

Though Arabic Malayalam poetry boosted the morale of Muslims in
their resistance to colonial invasion. The subjugation of Muslims
by the invaders led to a state of stagnation in literary life.
Later Muslim reformers used Arabic Malayalam poetry to rekindle
the spirit of education and religious awareness. Prominent among
these poets cum reformers are T. Ubaid, O. Abu and Punnayarkalam
Bapu. The poems fostered by Muslims are generally known as Mappila
Pattukal (Mappila songs). The salient feature of these songs is
the instantly recognizable peculiarity of its tunes that have by
and large influenced the cultural and literary life of Kerala as
it is evident in modern Malayalam poetry and film songs.

Muslims today no more use the old script of Arabic Malayalam in
their literary contribution. Modern works are all in Malayalam
now. However, to a limited extent, efforts are made to preserve
the identity of this language through Madrasa education.

Impact of Sanskrit Literary Tradition
Though Muslim themes were introduced into Malayalam poetry by
non-Muslim poets since the beginning of the 20th century, the
entry of Muslims into the Malayalam literature is of late
occurrence because of the attachment of the Muslim poets to Arabic
Malayalam. In imitation of the Sanskrit literary tradition Maha
Kavyam were composed by Malayalam poets. Rama Chandra Vilasam was
written by Azakath Padmanabha. Kurp and Kattakkayam cheriyan
Mappila wrote Sree Yeshu Vijayam. But Mahammadam was written only
after a long period. Ponkunnam saidu Mohammad, a Muslim scholar in
Sanskrit and Malayalam, wrote this Maha Kavyam in the same Snskrit
metre and here the poet attempts to narrate the story of mankind
in an Islamic perspective. It also contains a description of the
Quran in detail.

Yousef Ali Kecheri is a Muslim poet
famous for composing poems with Hindu as well as Islamic cultural
background. He has written poems on Quranic themes, the prophet
and Muslim festivals. He is a famous composer of film songs. P.T.
Abdul Rahiman is another noteworthy poet who wrote a long poem on
Bilal entitled, The Black Pearl. Both Kecheri and P.T. have won
literary awards.

Malayalam Fiction
Anyhow, the Muslim genius made greater achievement in fiction and
short stories. Viakkom Mohammed Basheer, a veteran novelist in
Malayalam brought a continent of experience in life into the
Malayalam literature. His compassionate attitude towards life
accompanied by an ironic vision acquainted the Malayalam readers
with a new aesthetic sense. His novels and short stories are
translated into other Indian and world languages. Umashankar
Joshi, the famous Indian writer, counted Tagore and Basheer as the
only two Indian writers of originality. M. Mukandan, the pioneer
of modernism in Malayalam fiction, once wrote, the Noble Prize is
too small a thing to honour Basheer. Basheer’s novels are poetic
expression of Muslim myth and Islamic mysticism. My Grand Dad had
an Elephant and pathumma’s goats are his masterpieces. He
mercilessly satirises the pervasive degeneration that infects
Muslim social life. In his writings he had been attempting to
create harmony in life through God consciousness.

N.P. Mohammed, another famous
novelist, short story writer and essayist, traces the influence of
Aryan, Dravidian and Hindu culture elements in the life of Kerala
Muslims. His two famous novels named The Oil field and The Eye of
God reveal the peculiar socio cultural life of a particular
region. They can be called regional novels. He wrote short stories
by perusing the Quranic style of expression. Punathil Kunhabdulla,
another novelist and story writer, satirises the outdated view and
customs prevailing in Muslim social life. Smaraka Shila Kal (Tomb
stones) and Marunnu (Medicine) are his famous novels. Both N.P.
and Punathil won awards of Kerala and Kendra Sahitya Academy. P.A
Mohammed Koya, the father of sports literature in Malayalam,
brought to light the social and religious life of the Koya Muslims
of Calicut. His Island Stories have endowed the Malayalam short
story with a rare aesthetic dimension. U.A. Khaderbeat a new path
when he wrote his short stories anthologized in his famous
Trikkotoor Peruma, which is highly appreciated. His style is
inimitable.

The most developed literary genre in Malayalam literature is the
short story and there are a number of Muslim short story writers
such as T.V. Kuchu Bava, Shibabuddeen poithumkadavu, Akbar
Kakratil, M.A. Rahima, N.P. Hafiz Mohammad and P.K. Parakhadavu.
They are noted for their highest excellence in handling the
Malayalam language in its colourfulness and rhythmic beauty.

The history of Malayalam drama will remain incomplete without
mentioning the contribution of K.T. Mohammed. He criticizes the
social life of the Kerala Muslims in an aggressive language.
Ibrahim Vengara, Mohammed Yousef, K.A. Kondungallor and Azeez were
renowned Malayalam dramatist.

Religious Writings
In addition to making valuable contribution to the Malayalam
literature, Kerala Muslims have been advancing in the field of
religious writing. They have published many books aimed at
reforming the religious life and introducing Islam to other people
as well. Many publishing houses are established. The Holy Quran
has been translated into Malayalam by various scholars. Tafheemul
Quran of sayyid Maududi has been translated and published in
Malayalam through Islamic Publishing House, Calicut, which shines
like a pillar of light in the literary life of the Muslims of
Kerala. Sheikh Muhammad Karakunnu, the Director of I.P.H., himself
wrote about 50 books on various Islamic knowledge. Other publisher
like Yuvatha, Hindustan and Al Huda published valuable works on
Islam.
The Muslims of Kerala constitute more than 20 per cent of the
population and their literacy rate is satisfactory. Consequently
they have started publishing dailies, weeklies, monthlies and
bimonthlies including children’s and ladies magazines.

A close analysis of the literary history of Kerala Muslims will
reveal the healthy trend of new awareness and reformation in the
field of learning and thinking. And a cream of writers, thinkers,
reformers, readers has emerged from various cultural groups among
Muslims vying with each other for achieving excellence in
developing Malayalam literature. There intense efforts and healthy
rivalry enable us to envision a new sky of hope for the community
and for the nation. The sea changes that have taken place in the
realm of the Muslims of Kerala are promising signs of a new
dawn-God willing.

(The writer
teaches Malayalam at Government College, Kasaragod, Kerala.)

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